purity of your own spirits, vex you daily with tion they will seek me early, Hos. v. 15. temptations, and often foil you, yet in despite The Father of mercies hides himself from his of them all, you shall arrive safe at home, children, not to lose them, but that they may where perfection dwells. seek him, and may learn, having found him, Wisdom from above is pure. Be asham- to keep closer by him than formerly. He ed then of your extreme folly, you that take threatens them, to keep them from punishpleasure in any kind of uncleanness, especial. ment; if his threatening work submission, ly seeing God hath reformed and purged his it is well; if not, he punishes them gently, house amongst us: you that are, or should to save them from destruction. He seeks no be his living temples, remain not unreformed; more, but that they acknowledge their offence, Wonderful clemency! if you do, church-reformation will be so far and seek his face. from profiting you, that, as a clearer light, it for who can forbear to confess multitudes of And who will but serve to make your impurity both offences, that know themselves? more visible and more inexcusable. If you can choose but seek thy face, that ever saw In their afmean that the Holy Ghost should dwell with thy face, and that know thee? you, entertain him, avoiding both spiritual fliction they will seek me early. He that and fleshly pollutions. The word here used prays not till affliction comes and forces him doth more particularly signify chastity; and to it, is very slothful; but he that prays not certainly wherever this wisdom from above is, in affliction, is altogether senseless. Certain this comely grace is one of her attendants. ly they that at this time are not more than Whatever any have been in times past, let ordinarily fervent in prayer, or do not at least all be persuaded henceforth to mortify all desire and strive to be so, cannot well think lustful and carnal affections; know that there that there is any spiritual life within them. is more true and lasting pleasure in the con- Sure it is high time to stir up ourselves to tempt of unlawful pleasures, than in the en- prayers and tears. All may bear arms in joyment of them. Grieve not, then, the good that kind of service. Weak women may be Spirit of God with actions or speeches, yea, strong in prayer; and those tears, wherein or with thoughts that are impure. The un- they usually abound upon other occasions, holy soul, like the mystical Babylon, Apoc. cannot be so well spent as this way. Let xiii., makes itself a cage of unclean birds them not run out in howlings and impatience, and an habitation of filthy spirits; and if it but bring them, by bewailing sins, private as continues to be such, it must, when it dis- well as public, to quench this public fire. lodges, take up its habitation with cursed And ye men, yea, ye men of courage, account spirits for ever in utter darkness. But as for it no disparagement thus to weep. We read those that are sincerely and affectionately pure, often of David's tears, which was no stain that is, pure in heart, our Saviour hath pro- to his valour. That cloud that hangs over nounced their begun happiness-Blessed are us, which the frequent vapours of our sins they that are pure in heart; and assured them of full happiness, for they shall see God. This wisdom is sent from heaven on purpose to guide the elect thither by the way of purity. And mark how well their reward is suited to their labour; their frequent contemplating and beholding of God's purity as they could, while they were on their journey, and their labouring to be like him, shall bring them to sit down in glory, and to be for ever the pure beholders of that purest object: They shall see God. What this is we

cannot tell you, nor can you conceive it; but walk heavenwards in purity, and long to be there, where you shall know what it means; for you shall see him as he is.

Now to that blessed Trinity be praise for

ever.

SERMON II.

PREFACE.

I will return to my place, (saith the Lord by his prophet,) till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face. In their afflic

have made, except it dissolve and fall down again in these sweet showers of godly tears, is certainly reserved to be the matter of a dreadful storm. Be instant every one in secret for the averting of this wrath, and let us now again unite the cries of our hearts for this purpose to our compassionate God, in the name and mediation of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

JOB Xxxiv. 31, 32.

signification of the words used in the origi- | find that it is nothing; and that they had nal, gives occasion to some other readings and much better have been alone, or have said another sense of them. But this we have in nothing. Our thoughts and speeches in most our translation, being not only very profita- things run to waste, yea are defiled, as water ble, but very congruous both to the words of spilt on the ground, is both lost, cannot be the primitive text, and to the contexture of gathered up again, and it is polluted, minthe discourse; I shall keep to it, without di- gled with dust. But no word spoken to God, viding your thoughts by the mentioning of from the serious sense of a holy heart, is lost; any other. Neither will I lead you so far he receives it, and returns it into our bosom about as to speak of the great dispute of this with advantage: a soul that delights to speak book, and the question about which it is to him, will find that he also delights to speak held. He that speaks here, though the to it. And this communication certainly is youngest of the company, yet, as a wise and the sweetest and happiest choice, to speak calm-spirited man, closes all with a discourse little with men, and much with God. One of excellent temper, and full of grave, use- short word, such as this here, spoken to God, ful instructions, amongst which this is one :- in a darted thought, eases the heart more Surely it is meet to be said, or spoke, to when it is afflicted, than the largest disGod. This speaking to God, though it may courses and complainings to the greatest and be vocal, yet it is not necessarily nor chiefly most powerful of men, or the kindest and so, but is always mainly, and may often be, most friendly. It gives not only ease but joy only mental; without this, the words of the to say to God, I have sinned, yet I am mouth, how well chosen and well expressed thine; or as here, I have borne chastisesoever they be, are to God of no account or ment, I will no more offend. The time of signification at all. But if the heart speak, affliction is peculiarly a time of speaking to even when there is not a word in the mouth, God, and such speech as this is peculiarly it is that he hearkens to, and regards that befitting such a time. And this is one great speech, though made by a voice that none recommendation of affliction, that it is a time hears but he, and is a language that none of wiser and more sober thoughts; a time of understands but he. the returning of the mind inwards and upwards. A high place, fulness and pleasure draw the mind more outwards; great light and white colours disgregate the sight of the eye, and the very thoughts of the mind too. And men find that the night is a fitter season

But it is a rare, unfrequented thing, this communing of the heart with God, speaking its thoughts to him concerning itself, and concerning him and his dealing with it, and the purposes and intentions it hath towards him ; which is the speech here recommended, and for deep thoughts. It is better, says Solois that divine exercise of meditation, and mon, to go to the house of mourning, than soliloquy of the soul with itself, and with to the house of feasting: those blacks made God, hearkening what the Lord God speaks the mind more serious. It is a rare thing to to us, within us, and our hearts echoing and find much retirement unto God, much huresounding his words, as Psalm xxvii. 8, 9, mility and brokenness of spirit, true purity and opening to him our thoughts of them, and spiritualness of heart, in the affluences and of ourselves. Though they stand open, and great prosperities of the world. It is no and he sees them all, even when we tell him easy thing to carry a very full cup even, and not of them, yet because he loves us, he loves to digest well the fatness of a great estate and to hear them of our own speaking; let me great place. They are not to be envied that hear thy voice, for it is sweet; as a father have them; even though they be of the betdelights in the little stammering, lisping lan- ter sort of men, it is a thousand to one but guage of his beloved child. And if the re- that they shall be losers by the gains and adflex affection of children be in us, we will vancements of this world; suffering proporlove also to speak with our Father, and to tionably great abatement of their best advantell him all our mind (apino), and to tages by their prosperity. The generality of be often with him in the entertainments of men, while they are at ease, do securely neour secret thoughts.

glect God, and little mind either to speak to But the most of men are little within; him, or to hear him speak to them. God either they wear out their hours in vain dis- complains thus of his own people, I spoke to course with others, or possibly vainer dis- them in their prosperity, and they would courses with themselves; even those that are not hear. The noises of coach-wheels, of not of the worst sort, and possibly that have their pleasures, and of their great affairs, so their times of secret prayer, yet do not so de- fill their ears, that the still voice, wherein light to think of God and to speak with him, God is, cannot be heard; I will bring her as they do to be conversant in other affairs into the wilderness, and there I will speak and companies, and discourses, in which to her heart, says God of his church. There there is a great deal of froth and emptiness. the heart is more at quiet to hear God, and to Men think, by talking of many things, to speak to him, and is disposed to speak in the be refreshed, and yet when they have done, style here prescribed, humbly and repentingly.

I have borne chastisement. The speak-managing it. But though both the cause ing thus unto God under affliction signifies, and the persons were just to the greatest that our affliction is from his hand, and to height imaginable amongst men, yet still the acknowledgement of this truth, the very were it meet to speak thus unto God, in the natural consciences of men do incline them. lowest acknowledgements and confessions Though trouble be the general lot of man-" that righteousness belongs unto him, and kind, yet it doth not come on him by an im- unto us shame and confusion of face;" so providential fatality. Though man is born says the church, Lam. i. 18, "The Lord is to trouble as the sparks fly upwards, (Job righteous, for I have rebelled against his v. 7,) yet it comes not out of the dust. It commandments." Though affliction is not is no less true, and in itself no less clear, always designedly intended as the chastisethat all the good we enjoy, and all the evil ment of some particular sin, yet where sin is we suffer, comes from the same hand; but (and that is the case of all the sons of Adam,) we are naturally more sensible of evil than of affliction coming in, may safely be considergood, and therefore do more readily reflect ed in its natural cognation and alliance with upon the original and causes of it. Our sin, and so press forth humble confessions of distresses lead us unto the notice of the sin, and resolutions against it. And thus, righteous God inflicting them, and our un. in Lev. xxvi. 41, "They shall accept of the righteous ways procuring them, and provok-punishment of their iniquity," shall take ing him so to do, and therefore it is meet it humbly and penitently, and kiss the rod. to speak in this submissive, humble language| Oh! that there were such a heart in us! to him. It is by all means necessary to speak that, instead of empty words that scatter themto him; he is the party we have to deal with-selves in the wind, our many vain discourses al, or to speak to, even in those afflictions we hold one with another concerning our whereof men are the intervenient, visible past and present sufferings, and further fears causes. They are, indeed, but instrumental and disputing of many fruitless and endless causes, the rod and staff (Heb. xii. 6,) in questions, we were more abundantly turning his hand that smite us; therefore our busi- our speech this way, in unto God, and sayness is with him, in whose supreme hand ing, "We desire to give thee glory, and take alone the mitigations and increases, the con- shame to ourselves, and to bear our chastisetinuance, and the ending of our troubles lie. ment, and to offend no more, to return each Who gave Jacob to the spoil, and Israel to from his evil way, and to gain this by the the robbers? Did not the Lord, against furnace, the purging away of our dross, our whom we have sinned? So Lam. i. 14: many and great iniquities, our oaths, and The yoke of my transgression is bound on by cursings, and lying, our deceit and oppreshis hand. Therefore it is altogether necessary sions, and pride, and covetousness, our base in all afflictions to speak to him, it is meet to love of ourselves, and hating one another; speak thus to him: I have borne chastisement, that we may be delivered from the tyranny I will no more offend. These words have in of our own lusts and passions; and in other them the true composition of real repentance, things, Let the Lord do with us as seems good humble submission, and holy resolution. I in his eyes. Speaking to God in Ephraim's have borne chastisement; that is, "I have words, Jer. xxxi. 18-20; words not unlike justly borne it, and do heartily submit to it: these would stir his bowels, as there; as it I bear it justly, and take it well: Lord, I ac- is said, that one string perfectly tuned to quit thee, and accuse myself." This lan- another being touched, the other stirs of itguage becomes the most innocent persons in self. When a stubborn child leaves strugthe world in their suffering. Job knew it gling under the rod, and turns to intreating, well, and did often acknowledge it in his the father then leaves striking; nothing overpreceding speeches. Though sometimes in comes him but that. When a man says the heat of dispute, and opposure to the un- unto God, "Father, I have provoked thee charitable and unjust imputations of his to this; but pardon, and, through thy grace, friends, he seems to overstrain the assertion I will do so no more," then the rod is thrown of his own integrity, (which Elihu here cor- aside, and the Father of mercies, and his rects,) you know he cries out, "I have humble child, fall to mutual tenderness and sinned against thee, what shall I do unto embraces. thee, O thou preserver of men ?" Job vii 20; and chap. ix. 30, 31: “If I wash myself with snow-water, and make my hands ever so clean, yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me." Vain foolish persons fret and foam at the miscarriage of a cause they apprehend to be righteous; but this is a great vanity and inconsiderate temerity in not observing the great and apparent unrighteousness in the persons

What I see not, teach thou me, &c. The great article of conversion is the disengagement of the heart from the love of sin. In that posture, as it actually forsakes whatsoever it perceives to be amiss, so it stands in an absolute readiness to return to every duty that yet lies hidden, upon the first discovery; that is here the genuine voice of a repentant sinner: What I see not, teach thou me, &c.

This is a very necessary suit, even for the most discerning and clearest-sighted penitent, both in reference to the commandment and rule for discovering the general nature and several kinds of sin; and withal, for application of this general light to the examen of a man's own heart and ways, that so he may have a more exact and particular account of his own sins.

The former is the knowledge of the laws of God, and rule by which a man is to try and to judge himself. The most knowing are not above the need of this request, yea, I am persuaded, the most knowing know best how much they need it, and are most humbled in themselves in the conscience of their ignorance and darkness in divine things, and are most earnest and pressing in this daily supplication for increase of light and spiritual knowledge from him who is the fountain of it; What I see not, teach thou me. On the other side, the least knowing are often the most confident that they know all, and swelled with a conceited sufficiency of their model and determination of all things, both dogmatical and practical; and therefore are the most imperious and magisterial in their conclusions, and the most impatient of contradiction, or even of the most modest dissent.

earnest and nobly ambitious desires that daily solicit holy hearts, and stir them to solicit the teacher of hearts, to be admitted more into the secrets and recesses of divine knowledge, not those abysses that God intends should be secret still, and from which he hath barred out our curiosity, as the forbidden tree of knowledge-those secrets that belong to himself alone, and concern us not to inquire after; and certainly to be wading in these deeps, is the way to be drowned in them. The searcher of majesty shall be oppressed with glory; yet, there is in man a perverse, preposterous desire, to pore upon such things as are on purpose hidden that we should not inquire after them, and to seek after useless, empty speculations of them, which is a luxury and intemperance of the understanding, like unto that, and springing from that, which at first undid us in the root. These are times full of those empty, airy questions, and notions in which there is no clearness nor certainty to be attained, and if it were, yet would serve to little or no purpose, not making the man that thinks he hath found them out, one jot the better or holier man than he was before. What avails it, says that devout author, to dispute and discourse high conThe wisest and holiest persons speak al- cerning the Trinity, and want humility, and ways in the humblest and most depressing so displease that Trinity? The light of style of their own knowledge, and that not knowledge, suited according to the intendwith an affectation of modesty, but in the ment of this copy, is of another nature, such real sense of the thing as it is, and the sin-as purifies the heart and rectifies the life. cere account they give of it, and that com- "What I see not, teach thou me," that is, monly when they are declaring themselves of such things as may serve this end; "that most solemnly, as in the sight of God, or if I have done iniquity I may do it no more." speaking in supplication to him with whom This is sound and solid knowledge, such a they dare least of all dissemble. Whoso- light as inflames the heart with the love of ever he was that spake these words, Prov. God, and of the beauties of holiness; and xxx. 2, 3, sure he was a man of eminent still, as it grows, makes those to grow wisdom and piety, and yet begins thus: likewise. Such are still, we see, David's Surely I am more brutish than any man, multiplied supplications in that psalm; not and have not the understanding of a man. to know reserved and unuseful things, but I have neither learned wisdom, nor have I Hide not thy commandments from me. the knowledge of the holy. And though" Thy hands have made me and fashioned he was so diligent a student, and so great a me." "Now, what is that thy creature and proficient in the law of God, yet how im- workmanship begs of thee? What is that portunate a petitioner is he, for the under- which will complete my being, and make standing of it, as if he knew nothing at all! me do honour to my Maker? This is it; Besides the like expressions in other psalmis, give me understanding, that I may learn thy in this one psalm, (Ps. cxix.,) that being of commandments." You that would be sucsuch length, hath nothing but the breath-cessful supplicants in this request, wean ing forth of his affection to the word and your hearts from this vanity of desire: such law of God, how often doth he in it reite- knowledge is as the cypress-trees, fair and rate that, "Teach me thy statutes"! so tall, but fruitless and sapless. Apply all often, that a carnal mind is tempted to grow you know to the purging out of sin, and inweary of it, as a nauseating tautology; but tend all the further knowledge you desire to he made it still new, with the freshness and that same end. Seek to be acquainted with vehemency of his affection. "Make me to higher rules of mortification and self-denial understand the way of thy precepts; give and charity, than yet you have either pracme understanding, and I shall keep thy law; tised, or, possibly, so much as thought on; and open thou mine eyes, that I may see that by these, your affections and actions the wonders of thy law; unseal mine eyes," may be advanced to greater degrees of puas if still veiled in dark. These are the rity, and conformity with the holiness of

God. And for this end, beg of him to the ministry of men, yet the great teacher of teach you what you see not in the exactness the true knowledge of his law, and of himof the law and rule; and withal, which is self, and of ourselves, is God. Men may the other thing in this world, that what you speak to the ear, but his chair is in heaven see not in the application of it and search of that teaches hearts; cathedram habet in yourself, he would likewise shew you; for cœlo. Matchless teacher! that teacheth more in that, we are commonly as undiscerning in one hour than men can do in a whole and dim-sighted as in the other, even where age! that can cure the invincible unteachmen have some notion of the rule and their ableness of the dullest heart, give underduty; yet they perceive not their own, even standing to the simple, and open the eyes of their gross recessions and declinings from it. the blind. So, then, would we be made Love is a blinding thing, and above all wise, wise for eternity, learned in real living love, self-love; and every man is naturally divinity, let us sit down at his feet, and his own flatterer; he deals not faithfully and make this our continual request" What I sincerely with himself in the search of his see not, teach thou me." own evils. Now, this we are to entreat of And if I have done, &c. That is, "any God, to be led into ourselves, and be ap- iniquity that I yet know not of, any hidden plied to the work of self-searching, by his sin, let me but once see it, and I hope thou own hand, not only to have a right appre-shalt see it no more within me; not willinghension of the law given us, but a truely lodged and entertained." This speaks sight of ourselves. O! how many hidden, an entire, total giving up all sin, and proundiscerned, yea, unsuspected impurities claiming utter defiance and enmity against and follies are there in the hearts of those it; casting out what is already found out that are most diligent in this inquiry, much without delay, and resolving that, still in more in the greater part, even of such as further search, as it shall be more discovered, cannot absolutely be denied the name of it shall be forthwith dislodged, without a good men! Some honest intentions and thought of sparing or partial indulgence to good desires there are in them; but they are any thing that is sin, or like it, or may any slothful, and unwilling to go to this painful way befriend it, or be an incentive of it. business of trying and judging themselves; This is that absolute renouncing of sin, and and when they set to it, many secret corners, surrender of the whole soul and our whole and in those many latent inordinacies, do selves to God, which, whosoever do not escape their search. "Cleanse me from se- heartily consent to and resolve on, their relicret faults," says David; that is, not only gion is in vain, and (which is here the those hidden from men, but even from my-point) their affliction is in vain: whatsoever self, as is clearly his meaning, by the words they have suffered, they have gained nothing preceding "Who knows the errors of his by all their sufferings, if their hearts remain life ?" Therefore it is necessary that we still self-willed, stubborn, untamed, and undesire light of God. "The spirit of a man is pliable to God. And this makes their mi. the candle of the Lord," says Solomon, series out of measure miserable, and their "searching the innermost parts of the sins out of measure sinful; whereas, were it belly;" but it is a candle unlighted when he thus qualified, and had it any operation this does not illuminate it for that search. Oh! way towards the subjecting of their hearts what a deal of vanity and love of this world, unto God, affliction were not to be called envy and secret pride, lurks in many of our misery, but would go under the title of a hearts, that we do not at all perceive, till God blessedness: "Blessed is the man whom causeth us to see it, leading us in, as he did thou correctest, and teachest him out of thy the prophet in the vision, to see the idolatry law." That suiting with this, here desired, of the Jews in his very temple, by which" I have borne chastisement: what I see they had provoked him to forsake it, and go not, teach thou me; and if I have done inifar from his sanctuary; and having disco-quity, I will do it no more." Oh! were it vered one parcel, leads him in further, and thus with us, my brethren, how might we makes him enter through the wall, and adds rejoice, and insert into our praises all that often, "Son of man, hast thou seen these? is come upon us, if it had wrought or adI will cause thee to see yet more abomina-vanced any thing of this kind within us, this tions." Thus is it within many of us that blessed compliance with the will of God, not should be his temples; but we have a mul- entertaining any thing knowingly that distitude of images of jealousy, one lying hid pleases him; finding a pleasure in the debehind another, till he thus discover them nial and destruction of our own most beloved to us. Oh! what need have we to entreat pleasures at his appointment and for his him thus: "What I see not, teach thou sake, whatsoever is in us, and dearest to us, me"! that would offend us, that would draw us to Now, in both these, both in the know-offend him; were it the right hand, let it ledge of our rule and of ourselves, though be cut off, or the right eye, let it be plucked there may be some useful subserviency of out: or, to make shorter work, let the whole